CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1917, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE ARRIVAL OF BRITAIN. The progress of the war was recently reviewed in the New York Tribune by Mr. Frank 11. Simonds. He said the most significant thing about the year 1.010 is that it has Been the arrival of Britain, speaking in the military sense. In the campaign of 1914 the British never had 150,000 in line at 0110 time, and tlieir losses must have been ciose to 75,000. 111 the campaign of 191" the British may have had 500,00(1: All through the French operations in Artois the British were unable to render effective aid, and they lacked both guns and munitions all through this time But in the campaign of 1!(1P> the British have had upward of 1,500,000 in line, and they have approximately 3,000.000 trained reserves behind them. They hav heavy artillery that surpasses both thf, French and the (ierman. and' tlieir supply of munitions is rapidly mounting to the point which ensures them permanent superiority over the Germans on their front. Moreover, the army winch now faces the Germans,is not at its highest point of efliciency, despite the fact tliut German rencrals have testii'lcd to its progress. Not before the campaign of 1017 shall we see the I'ritish army at its best. For two years the chief purpose of Allied strategy lias been to ward off the German blows in the west until the British could pre pare. This purpose has been realised The British are prepared, they have intervened effectively to take the burden off the French. France has not been destroyed, as Germany expected, before the British could get. up, and we have had both at the Somme and before Verdun irecent proof of the force that is still, loft in the French army.